Hagrid's Motorbike Adventure is open

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
Disney is allowing people to camp out super early. This creates a big mob of people since word spread that you have to get there early to get the boarding passes. This in turn has made Disney decide to push the park opening earlier. First, they secretly opened it at 6:30 for a 9:00 posted opening. Then, they moved the official opening ton 8:00 but still opened at 6:30. This was ultra unfair to everyone not in the know because it resulted in the passes being gone before the official park open.

As of yesterday or the day before they changed the official opening to 7:00, still opening at 6:30. This is a little more fair because at least now people not following the situation can still prepare by getting there at opening.

They wouldn’t have had to keep pushing it earlier and earlier if they just stopped allowing people to park super early.

I wouldn't say unfair. It's Star Wars, it's Walt Disney World, it's the opening week of a new attraction. Of course people show up early.

There were two options - corale people and delay their entry until 8 - something that wouldn't actually result in people who show up +/- 15 min from the stated opening getting on the ride anyways...

Or let early arrivals in two hours sooner, allowing potentially another 2+ hours of attraction operation.

Guests are very primed to show up in advance of park opening hours these days. They do it all the time especially at MK and AK. If they thought they could show up 15 minutes before park opening, for the opening week of a new E-ticket, that's sheer stupidity on their part.

It's the same for people who show up to Animal Kingdom 5 minutes before opening and think it's a smart idea to get ahead of the crowds by going on Flight of Passage.
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't say unfair. It's Star Wars, it's Walt Disney World, it's the opening week of a new attraction. Of course people show up early.

There were two options - corale people and delay their entry until 8 - something that wouldn't actually result in people who show up +/- 15 min from the stated opening getting on the ride anyways...

Or let early arrivals in two hours sooner, allowing potentially another 2+ hours of attraction operation.

Guests are very primed to show up in advance of park opening hours these days. They do it all the time especially at MK and AK. If they thought they could show up 15 minutes before park opening, for the opening week of a new E-ticket, that's sheer stupidity on their part.

It's the same for people who show up to Animal Kingdom 5 minutes before opening and think it's a smart idea to get ahead of the crowds by going on Flight of Passage.
I still stand by my statement that Disney doesn't have to let them park at 4:00 AM and has every power and right to prevent this. Stopping people from entering the parking lot early would not suddenly cause a riot or have them plow into the parking lot anyway or park on the side of the road somewhere. If they officially stated "parking lot opens at X, no exceptions", and blocked off the entrances to the lot with a security vehicle stationed there, word would catch on and people would follow it and just time their arrival for that time. The resulting rush when the parking lot does open would be similar to New Years Eve, meaning they are prepared for this as long as they are staffed for it.

Instead, by giving into this, Disney is encouraging a snowball effect where word has spread and people are arriving earlier and earlier, creating an unsafe situation of a massive crowd corralled at the gates - a crowd that they only have themselves to blame for allowing to get that big. This in turn is forced them to open the park early, then move the official opening time earlier, then still open earlier than that, etc.

Comparisons to Flight of Passage are not valid, because by getting there early you are only battling for a shorter wait, yet you can still queue up and ride for the rest of the entire operating day.
 
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BrianLo

Well-Known Member
I still stand by my statement that Disney doesn't have to let them park at 4:00 AM and has every power and right to prevent this. Stopping people from entering the parking lot early would not suddenly cause a riot or have them plow into the parking lot anyway or park on the side of the road somewhere. If they officially stated "parking lot opens at X, no exceptions", and blocked off the entrances to the lot with a security vehicle stationed there, word would catch on and people would follow it and just time their arrival for that time. The resulting rush when the parking lot does open would be similar to New Years Eve, meaning they are prepared for this as long as they are staffed for it.

Instead, by giving into this, Disney is encouraging a snowball effect where word has spread and people are arriving earlier and earlier, creating an unsafe situation of a massive crowd corralled at the gates - a crowd that they only have themselves to blame for allowing to get that big. This in turn is forced them to open the park early, then move the official opening time earlier, then still open earlier than that, etc.

Comparisons to Flight of Passage are not valid, because by getting there early you are only battling for a shorter wait, yet you can still queue up and ride for the rest of the entire operating day.

I still am having a difficult time following your logic. Turning people away at the parking entrance whether at 5, 6, 6:30 still ultimately puts the exact same number of people through the gates or through the capacity limited ride. Opening earlier than announced actually results in a few more people getting on the attraction at the end of the day. Maybe even a few more semi-on time arrivals.

You seem to be advocating for no ability to queue up in advance. All that creates is a giant bolus, but still largely the same makeup of guests who were willing to show up early, whether they swing the doors open early or not.

I agree this largely sounds like a complaint of wanting to sleep. Or that it's not just a standby queue (which would still be full).

Turning people away actually creates more chaos, it just build up the dam somewhere else (like the toll plaza), less intended for people to all arrive simultaneously.

Fair is first come first served, not turning people away so people can sleep in and get lucky. Fair is letting the people who arrive first have the higher odds of getting on the attraction. Unfair is fast passes, 60 day windows, dessert parties or paid front of the line access.

It's incredibly simple, anyone who truly wants to go on this attraction can wake up early.
 
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Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
I still am having a difficult time following your logic. Turning people away at the parking entrance whether at 5, 6, 6:30 still ultimately puts the exact same number of people through the gates or through the capacity limited ride. Opening earlier than announced actually results in a few more people getting on the attraction at the end of the day. Maybe even a few more semi-on time arrivals.

You seem to be advocating for no ability to queue up in advance. All that creates is a giant bolus, but still largely the same makeup of guests who were willing to show up early, whether they swing the doors open early or not.

I agree this largely sounds like a complaint of wanting to sleep. Or that it's not just a standby queue (which would still be full).

Turning people away actually creates more chaos, it just build up the dam somewhere else (like the toll plaza), less intended for people to all arrive simultaneously.

Fair is first come first served, not turning people away so people can sleep in and get lucky. Fair is letting the people who arrive first have the higher odds of getting on the attraction. Unfair is fast passes, 60 day windows, dessert parties or paid front of the line access.

It's incredibly simple, anyone who truly wants to go on this attraction can wake up early.
My main complaint has not been about the early start times. It has been about the uncertainty Disney has created by allowing people to line up super early and then opening earlier than what they officially posted. This has created a snowball effect, causing people to arrive earlier, forcing them to open earlier, which causes them to arrive earlier, etc.

We’re up to what, 4 AM now? It’s now to the point that even people arriving at 5 AM have a chance of not riding. This is absurd and indefensible. Nothing Universal did with Hagrid’s was anywhere near as ridiculous.

Keep in mind that e vast majority of guests do not know this is happening and are assuming serving at 6:30 is early enough because Disney has said nothing otherwise.
 

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
My main complaint has not been about the early start times. It has been about the uncertainty Disney has created by allowing people to line up super early and then opening earlier than what they officially posted. This has created a snowball effect, causing people to arrive earlier, forcing them to open earlier, which causes them to arrive earlier, etc.

We’re up to what, 4 AM now? It’s now to the point that even people arriving at 5 AM have a chance of not riding. This is absurd and indefensible. Nothing Universal did with Hagrid’s was anywhere near as ridiculous.

Keep in mind that e vast majority of guests do not know this is happening and are assuming serving at 6:30 is early enough because Disney has said nothing otherwise.

Distribution lasted until 7:45-ish today. Anyone who arrives before opening is routinely safely getting a boarding group. 🤷‍♂️

Moving the opening time earlier seems to have given more buffer to people who at least don't get the memo and think arriving 5 minutes before opening is ok. I think it was still running out around a similar time with 8am openings.

Again your complaint seems personal, which is fine. You are allowed to be annoyed it's too popular and under capacity. It's ok to be annoyed that it doesn't work for your schedule. But it's not unfair.
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
Distribution lasted until 7:45-ish today. Anyone who arrives before opening is routinely safely getting a boarding group. 🤷‍♂️

Moving the opening time earlier seems to have given more buffer to people who at least don't get the memo and think arriving 5 minutes before opening is ok. I think it was still running out around a similar time with 8am openings.

Again your complaint seems personal, which is fine. You are allowed to be annoyed it's too popular and under capacity. It's ok to be annoyed that it doesn't work for your schedule. But it's not unfair.
7:45 is good to hear, but they may not make it to their boarding passes before park close.

The other day the passes were gone by 7:15, which means even if you pulled in to the parking lot at 6:30 you may still not get one.

It sounds like the situation is getting better, at least, but still unpredictable. I’ll be waking up at 4 AM twice next week so I can finally ride before AP blockout.
 

starri42

Well-Known Member
On the other hand Hagrid was running well yesterday but the AAs had issues.......
Can confirm, at least for the Hagrid one. I was fairly certain he was supposed to move, but didn't see that happen until my second ride today.

I thought they handled things fairly well. The first day, it was around 2PM and was basically walk-on, although the weather had a lot to do with it. Although, honestly, the mist actually kind of added to the experience. Today, posted time was about 90 minute,s and we were in and out in about an hour. I was impressed.
 

raven

Well-Known Member
Disney is doing it better by doing the virtual line. Universal dropped the ball on saying they were gonna do it and then not. Yeah you might not ride, but you can at least go ride other things while waiting.
Once that Hagrid’s opened, Universal saw that doing a virtual queue would be unfair to guests who arrived early (case in point: what’s happening at RotR right now). By eliminating the virtual queue, it made the wait fair for all guests.

As far as not getting to go on other things due to it’s long line, that’s the guests choice. The wait times were clearly posted in the park and on the app and most visitors that went within the first few days of it’s operation were going to IOA specifically for that ride.
 

flynnibus

Premium Member
Once that Hagrid’s opened, Universal saw that doing a virtual queue would be unfair to guests who arrived early (case in point: what’s happening at RotR right now). By eliminating the virtual queue, it made the wait fair for all guests.

Or was it.. the ride was so sporadic in operation they couldn't commit to future runs.. and instead kept running it when they could...
 

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Are they keeping the queue open to park close? Close to park close? Some randomly chosen time in mid-afternoon?

-Rob

It has been staying open until park close even though they have been leaving out the "closing early" sign. I guess it's a cya move.

They have gotten it up to pretty much full capacity. If the queue starts at the entry arch you are looking at approximately 60 min. They have not started accepting Express Pass yet.
 

Rob562

Well-Known Member
It has been staying open until park close even though they have been leaving out the "closing early" sign. I guess it's a cya move.

They have gotten it up to pretty much full capacity. If the queue starts at the entry arch you are looking at approximately 60 min. They have not started accepting Express Pass yet.

Thanks, we were able to ride twice back in October, but due to some bad luck on our part our initially posted 60-minute waits both times ended up being 90+

Hoping we have better luck next month.

-Rob
 

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